Drotalis

The great city Drotalis lies on the coast of Arndeal and serves as a bastion of life in a land where the dead flourish.

Government

The city is ruled by the Drotas Family, the family whose ancestor is said to have founded the city. When members of the core family become 20 they are often given an aspect of the city to rule. When members of this family die and come back they often retire from their position and serve in the Order of the Grave Knights, the College of Greater Knowledge or in the Great Library of the Forgotten. All laws and taxes are decided by the head of the family and carried out by the Order of the Grave Knights.

Laws

Like most human-centric civilizations all citizens are seen as an adult at the age of 15. As such they are responsible for upholding the law, paying taxes if they are required to and can decide what occurs when they die.
Like most civilized settlements things like murder, theft, rape, kidnapping, vandalism and more are illegal and enforced by the Grave Knights.
Criminals are brought before the head of the Drotas Family or the member responsible for this aspect of the city and are given a chance to plead their case. Typically there are only three punishments for those who are deemed guilty, manual labor, exile, and death by cremation.

Taxation

The city of Drotalis relies upon the taxation of many things such as the export of goods, the owning of lands outside the first wall, medicine and medical procedures, stores and many other things. Only farm, ranches and those under 15 are exempt from taxation.

Death and Undeath

In Arndeal death is not always the end and that includes those that live within the city of Drotalis. Over time the city and the other residents of Arndeal have come to acknowledge the three main categories of Undead, only two of which are relevant to the city and its laws. These two are Ferals and Demis. Much like the name implies Ferals are mindless undead who typically attack any living thing on sight and sometimes even other undead. Demis, however, retain most if not all of the memories and personality that they did in life. A Demi can remain this way for anywhere between a week and a few centuries but all inevitably revert into a Feral one day. The cause of this is as mysterious as the reason why the dead rarely remains so. And so any citizen who becomes a Demi is allowed into the city and allowed to continue on with their life. The primary difference is that once one becomes a Demi they are required to register with the Grave Knights and must conduct a weekly evaluation in their headquarters. Those that show signs of regression are watched closely so that when they become Feral they can be promptly executed before any innocents can be harmed. Not every citizen that dies comes back. In fact, once a citizen becomes 15 they are required to go to the Grave Knights headquarters and make a decision. The choice is whether they are given the chance to come back as a Demi or to be cremated right away after death. Citizens are also allowed to change their decision as many times as they wish, within reason.

Defences

Drotalis has three main defenses, the first of which are its walls. The city is surrounded by three walls. The first of which surrounds the city, the second surrounds the outer areas that hold the farms and ranches as well as a few estates belonging to the wealthy of the city. The third and final wall is about a mile and a half from the second wall. This serves as the first line of defense and the area between the two walls is known as no man's land. It is not uncommon for Feral or evil undead to make their way past this wall and fight with the Grave Knights that patrol this area.
The Second main defense is the Grave Knights themselves. These warriors are trained in tactics developed primarily for fighting undead and go through rigorous training to ensure that each one can survive the harsh landscape of Arndeal. A notable portion of the Grave Knights are in fact undead and primarily serve along the third wall, in No Mans land or preparing new recruits for what they might face.
The Third defense of Drotalis is only rumored to exist as it has never been needed. According to the rumors though the ruling family controls the skeleton of a Titan that lies under the city. If ever needed it is said that it will rise up and defeat any who threatens the city.

Industry & Trade

The industries that Drotalis primarily deals with are as follows Education: Drotalis is home to not only the College of Greater Knowledge, one of the three great institutions of the known world, and the Great Library of the Forgotten. Scholars from around the known world travel here in search of learning. the tuition of the college and the cost of admittance into the Library provide a large piece of the city's income.
Medicine: Due in part to the unique properties of Arndeal and the Great Library the understanding and development of medicine and healing magic is far greater here than anywhere else in the world. Many of the greatest healers of the world once studied or were born in Drotalis. As such many who pursue this path or need treatment come to this city. Drotalis is also home and the birthplace of White Necromancy, a unique school of magic that focuses on healing.
Rare Components: Due to the nature of the land there are a number of rare components in magical, alchemical and mundane goods that can only be located in Arndeal and as such the city of Drotalis has a tax on the export of such goods.
Incense: One of the less enjoyable qualities of Arndeal is the ever-present scent of decay and death in the air. To help combat this the use of incense has become both a tradition and a necessity. To support this demand, many crafters specializing in the creation of incense have appeared over the years. Some had traveled to the city and some were born and raised in Drotalis. Regardless of their origin incense crafters and merchants have become an important part of the city's economy. The ever-present burning of incense has also given the city one of its alternative names, The City of Smoke.
Food: Thanks to the dangerous and magical nature of Arndeal both livestock and crops have a difficult time living here. So a large portion of the taxes collected by the city is often used to buy food which is then sold to citizens and businesses and a much lower cost ensuring that the city does not experience famine. To further aid this the city does not rely on a single source of food but does business with cities and nations all around the known world. Those few farms and ranches that do exist within the three walls of Drotalis are often exempt from all taxation and tolls that other businesses and organizations have to pay.

Guilds and Factions

The Order of the Grave Knights - The Grave Knights is the order responsible for the security of the city of Drotalis and its citizens. Whether from threats within or outside the city they can be seen taking action to uphold the laws and protection of the city. The order is run by a council of veteran knights but both the council and the order directly serve the founding family.
Librarians of the Forgotten - The librarians of the Forgotten is an organization of scholars and warriors who run and protect the Great Library of the Forgotten as well as venture to the Lost Libraries of Arndeal in search of more knowledge. To hold the title of Librarian or Librarian Knight is seen as one of the most respected positions within Drotalis and they are often revered as celebrities and heroes.
League of Merchants - a guild comprised of merchants and travelers. They make up the majority of people who deal with the import and export of goods within Drotalis. While holding a large presence here the League of Merchants is in fact based elsewhere.
Mages of the Silver Tower - The order of magic users who created White Necromancy and specializes in healing magic as well as dealing with the undead. They have close ties to both the College and the Great Library and is often mistaken as a member of one or both.

Natural Resources

The city benefits from several natural resources within its walls. The first of being the rare plants and minerals that grow in the forest between the first and second walls of the city. Many of the plants and minerals in the forest can only be found on Arndeal and as such has become one of the city's prized exports. It is not uncommon for bands of kids to search the forest for something valuable to sell to the merchants.
The second is actually the area between the second and third walls known as No Man's Land. Here scavengers brave the risk of ferals and loot the corpses that litter the land for items to sell to merchants and smiths within the city proper. Additionally, because of the nature of the area No Man's Land is constantly being replenished by the undead who seek their way in. The days following a large herd of ferals attacking the outer walls you can often find dozens of scavengers combing the battlefields for things of interest.
The city is also frequented by rainstorms all year round which serves to provide the water for the citizens. The Drotas Family has built a sub sewer that transports rainfall all over the city to a purification building where it is then redistributed to the businesses such as bathhouses that require plenty of water and the public water towers throughout the city. To ensure that they receive enough water businesses are only allowed to buy a certain percentage of water. It is not uncommon for businesses and citizens to also collect rainwater for usage as well

Alternative Name(s)

The City of Smoke

Type

City

Inhabitant Demonym

The Drotalins